Cielo Anejo

I have a bottle of Cielo Anejo which I absolutely adore, it's rich and smooth with a strong citrus and floral character. It's a great drink and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a fine spirit neat. My guy at my favorite liquor store recommended it to me and I am very grateful.

PS Cielo Anejo just took the championship at the recent San Francisco spirits competition. It was awared a 96, the highest rating ever given to a tequila in the competition.

I'd like to find good tequilas in smaller bottles (e.g. 200 or 375 ml). I've had Cuervo Gold from a (glass) miniature bottle, and wasn't impressed. However, Cuervo Gold isn't particularly well-regarded among tequila aficionados. Even so, I'm not sure I want to shell out a fair bit of change for something that I might not like...

I suppose I could look for a bar on Collins St. in Joliet - when I drive down that street, I sometimes wonder, ¿En qué país estoy?

I'd like to find good tequilas in smaller bottles (e.g. 200 or 375 ml).

Unfortunately, only mass appeal products are sold in anything other than the 750 ml. It was a big deal, for example, when Knob Creek was made available in the full range of sizes. It meant the brand had arrived. You probably can find something other than Cuervo in a smaller size, but not a top-of-the-line aged tequila.

smaller sizes

I have been drinking 100% blue agave anejo tequila for years and have only come across a few 375 ml bottles. Typcially they are higher priced bottlings like Porfidio Barrique. The 750 ml is near $600 so the 375 ml is a way to taste it at a lower price. Off the top of my head I can't remember any others.

If you ever come across El Tesoro anejo try it. It's sub $40 and a really great tequila. Some of the traditional methods are still used to produce it. Also, Tonala Suprema Reserva. Sub $50 and really good as well.

I was over at my nearby Binny's the other day, and there was a nice lady pouring samples of Distinguido tequila - blanco, reposado, and añejo. They're 100% agave tequilas, and all of them, IMO, were vastly better than the Cuervo Gold that I tried earlier this year.

I ended up picking up a bottle of the reposado - it's quite nice neat, and I think it'll be quite mixable as well.

Re: Tequila

Amongst my admittedly small tequila selection, I find Herradura Reposado the best. It is very balanced, slightly sweet (only a little, but just enough to take the edge off), vegetal and spicy (peppery) and a little saline too. I like just a little later in the evening.

My second favouite is Cuervo Gold. This drink has, I know, little cachet amongst most connoisseurs, but that doesn't mean they're right. It has a very good house flavour. Sweet it is, but I don't mind sweetness and it goes well after dinner, I find. In a margarita, I just add less triple sec and get the house taste without excess sugar in that classic cocktail.

My 4 Copas Blanco is good but more austere: bone dry, perhaps too authentic for me.

I have a couple of (personal) vattings but they are not successful due to my adding a South African tequila-like drink and it just doesn't work with the real thing: too earthy and raw. Oh well. (In margaritas though the vats are fine).

For some reason when sipping the Herradura I feel like smoking a Camel or some other American cigarette - but I won't.

Re: Tequila

There is nothing wrong with drinking and enjoying whatever you like. The issue with Cuervo Gold is that most people don't understand what it is, especially with regard to its color, which most people assume comes from aging. It does not. Cuervo Gold is a mixto tequila (i.e., not 100&#37; agave) with caramel coloring added to give it color and a little more flavor and sweetness. It's the equivalent of a blended whiskey. Nothing wrong with that, but that's what it is.

Re: Tequila

I think the Especial Oro is an excellent product because it has a unique and first rate flavor. All the rest is of interest (e.g., blend-type tequila, uses cane sugar as the non-blue agave element (presumably), added color, etc.) but secondary to its excellence as a drink in the tequila family. The only change I'd make is to make it slightly less sweet, but I can modify the sweetness in various ways (e.g. by adding some 100&#37; blue agave tequila and maybe some white rum, I actually do this from time to time).